Niger Crisis escalating after EU suspends all aid to the Country.

by Paschen | July 13, 2009 at 01:41 am

343 views | 59 Recommendations | 11 comments

By, Uwe Paschen.

E.U. Suspends all aid to Niger and freezes all accounts. After Failure of the Niger Government to comply with EU demands as reported in an earlier post. (See links at the end of this post.)

After much patience and many calls for reason to Niger’s President Mamadou Tandja, who tries to stay in power indefinitely and has there for suspended the Constitution, fired the Judges and the suspended the parliament as well as put a tight lid on the media. With countless Journalist, Opposition leaders and even some of his own government member put under house arrest or even imprisoned.

Some opposition leaders in exile have called for his resignation and demanded elections, this however seems unlikely at this point in time since after the E.U. Froze all aid and accounts he tighten his grip even further and imposed another curfew as well as the arrest of all that would take to the streets and demonstrate.

The MNJ (Mouvement des Nigerien pour la Justice) Niger’s outlawed party for Justice and now in hiding and in Exile in France, Libya and Algeria has call for armed resistance to the Government. Even the Djerma who traditionally support the Housa lead Government in Niger have withdrawn their support and joined the Tuareg, Peul and Fulani resistance.

To this ads the resistance with in the Housa majority that no longer support their President’s latest action wish is a rather big turn of events.

However, the Government does still maintain control over the Armed Forces, the Mercenaries and the Police. Some speculate that the Armed forces remain loyal in part due to the presence of Mercenaries who control the Air Force and Tanks. Most of those Mercenaries are from former Yugoslavia and contracted by Niger through the intermediary of the US, that supply's the weapons and training with Marine Core of the Niger Armed Forces. With out the Mercenaries and weapons supplied as well as the presence of US Marines in Niger, it is most likely that this Government would no longer be able to maintain its iron fist upon the people and deny them their democratic right.

The EU did finally act and this may cause some diplomatic tension with the US and has already prompted Niger’s Foreign Minister Aichatou Mindaoudou to protest the EU freezing of aid to Niger as well as all accounts in Europe.

Niger can still use its US accounts though and still receives aid from the US, China, India and Canada.

The danger, that some experts see here, is that China and India may step in with more aid and lines of credit as China did in the case of Zimbabwe.

This would most likely cause the US and Canada to be pushed out of the Uranium game and it would render all hopes for the reimplantation of the democratic constitution an elution and a dream at best.

However, it would also mean that the MNJ would move into a full scale civil war with the Government and most likely they will be well armed and supplied by Libya, Algeria and even the EU with the intermediary of Libya or Russia.

The sad part here is that the political games of the supper powers does cost the people their freedom and strips them of their rights and all this because Niger is one of the richest countries in the World when it comes to Uranium, Gold, Silver and Oil. Nevertheless its people are some the poorest in the world as well and with over 70% of an-alphabets they have little chance of making their voice heard on an International level.

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/civil-war-unfolding-niger-update-3

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/4th-july-only-those-can-tweet

http://cpj.org/2009/07/niger-ramps-up-censorship.php

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iGDvv1xaSDoOdxyITFvCAEsJGQ9Q

http://www.dominicanewsonline.com/all_news/commentary/6519.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gKygt6qapMfAY67P97VAeKeYLMPw

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5icQCTCcCdYXsr2-dOXMQPIwJn4tQ

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4461768,00.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ivQHr5B5t65gLJutwqlqG3VXOgGg

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albertacowpoke

at 02:36 on July 13th, 2009

What is the bottom line here now Paschen? What would Niger have to do to comply with EU demands?

By your description it seems like the whole world is taking what it can out of this nation and the people are left holding the bag without any aid.

Paschen

at 02:45 on July 13th, 2009

Good Question ACP, well, for starter I think it is great that the EU did this and takes the risk of loosing the resources to China, India and other contenders.

The EU wants the Constitution to be reinstated, elections to be called and for the President to step down immediately. The EU also asks for the pardon of all opposition leaders, demonstrators and Journalist now in prison or Exile.

It would be easy to meet all those demands and it would bring peace and reinstate democracy. However, i am not so sure that this may happen, even though the African Union has now condemned Niger as well after the EU did freeze all aid to Niger earlier yesterday.

Amitjha

at 04:24 on July 13th, 2009

Excellent work Paschen, thanks for covering the Niger issue in such depth.Nobody really cares about the so called as dark continent accept some intellectual satisfaction.

Paschen

at 04:37 on July 13th, 2009

I am glad you took the time to read it and comment, thank you. Yes, we do not hear much about what is happening on the African Continent other then when Obama Visits and makes an inflated speech.

Talk is cheep.

saeedshiekh

at 06:08 on July 13th, 2009

I most certainly agree with albertacowpoke. What will happen moving forward? looking forward to your comments.

Paschen

at 07:52 on July 13th, 2009

I am not sure what may happen next saeedshiekh.

However, I do know that the Tuaregs are not willing to accept this form of tyranny and will be a fierce opposition.

Unfortunately this will mean war and may split the Country into two to five fractions.

If China moves in with finances and Military help since it has already a contract for Uranium with Niger as well as for Oil then we will see a Genocide.

If the US follow suit with the EU and convince China to do the same wish would be most unlikely, however, if that was to be then the UN could step in. Since All Veto powers involved would be on the same page.

We shall see, Hope for the best and expect the Worth, at this point.

158

at 06:52 on July 13th, 2009

Very good article.

Interior Africa is seldom covered in the western media.

Many people who gain power are reluctant to give it up.

Paschen

at 07:55 on July 13th, 2009

Thank you for the read, that is why we have constitutions in place, however in this case the President simply suspended the Constitution and fired the Constitutional Judges that tried to stop him.

Theoretically the Army would be in their constitutional right to arrest the President, However, they have the Mercenaries and Marines washing them.

Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 09:08 on July 13th, 2009

Paschen, it sounds like the "right thing to do" but there is always concern about people who need aid. Do you have any idea how much total aid Niger receives, and from which countries, and how much of it actually reaches the people in need?

Paschen

at 12:14 on July 13th, 2009

Thanks for the visit L-S and yes I do not only have an idea since I worked with some of those projects and because I am particularly interested in this part of the Globe and its people. I do advocate justice and Social democracy wish Niger has only on paper since 1987.

Some of this is a farce and most of it could be avoided would we stop playing those games for the control of natural resources. If the EU says enough is enough you either change or we are out then they turn to China who will not complain about human rights nor corruption. France was driven our by Canada and Canada was put in place by the US. The EU came back in force in the 90s and now China and India are at the door steps.

samirakeita (not verified)

at 15:04 on August 22nd, 2009

thanks for covering this. my country has always been ignored by the western world but oviously this may gradually change. sadly, for the wrong reasons. the government is not concerned by the EU suspension of aid, in fact it will probaby believe the absense of aid will regularise market prices, there will be no war, the tuareg rebels will not manifest themselves violently because all they want is representation in the government and access and some sort of control over the uranium that is located in their areas afterall, the president will probably satisfy their needs to shut them up or he will ignore. we counted on the opposion to stop this from happening by stopping the referendum that led to the change of the constitution, but the opposition is too weak. we as a nation are too passive, war is unlikely, which is worse because people will simply accept this despite the majority being againsit it. no every journalist or opposition member that says the wrong is put behind bars, and this every day. Tanja, the president is in full control and has the army's back up so even a coup is unlikely. there is no way out for us, only time will tell. the opposition is key but too weak. maybe thats what the international community should help with.